The 15 Hardest Bosses in Elden Ring (Ranked)

What are the hardest bosses in Elden ring?

Elden Ring, like any game in the Souls series, is filled with incredibly strong bosses that players will have to fight.

While there are many difficult fights, some of them have stood out more than others for being exceptionally hard to beat.

Today, we’re looking at the hardest bosses you can face in Elden Ring and what makes them so dangerous.

The 15 Hardest Bosses in Elden Ring

Each boss on this list has been chosen based on their level of difficulty and how long it usually takes players to defeat them.

Although not everyone may have the same experience, these are the bosses most people have trouble with in the game.

If you’re ready to find the toughest fights, here’s our list of the 15 hardest bosses in Elden ring:

15. Draconic Tree Sentinel

Kicking off our list, we have the Draconic Tree Sentinel, an overworld boss that appears in the form of a giant knight wearing gold armor.

This boss is devastating against melee users, as he can use his shield and horse to stagger even the hardiest characters.

Even ranged users will have to contend with this boss’s lighting wave attack, which is incredibly difficult to dodge.

Players used to be able to cheat a bit during this fight to stay a safe distance away, but FromSoftware has since patched this exploit.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to deal with this boss, especially since he won’t move from in front of the Capital Outskirts until he sees the player.

This means if you’re stealthy enough, you can get behind him and inflict scarlet rot to deal some solid damage right off the bat.

We would also recommend using poison grease of a poisonous dart if you don’t have access to scarlet rot.

The Draconic Tree Sentinel can seriously hinder progression for players, making it a dangerous roadblock in the middle of the game.

14. Astel – Naturalborn Of The Void

Elden Ring is one of the best games like Skyrim, but fortunately, the Elder Scrolls classic didn’t have anything as deadly as Astel.

This Elden Ring boss fight takes players from dark fantasy to otherworldly cosmic nightmare in the blink of an eye.

Found in the Grand Cloister, Astel is a boss that needs to be defeated in order to complete Ranni’s questline.

When fought, Astel attacks using a powerful and wide-reaching area of effect burst that can easily kill players.

It also uses powerful grabs if you accidentally get too close to it during battle, which makes things difficult for melee users.

If that wasn’t bad enough, this boss will also shoot lasers at you if you move too far away or rain down a barrage of meteors.

Astel is even capable of teleporting, making him even tougher to fight as he moves around.

To get passed this boss battle, you’ll need to bring your best gear along and possibly a couple of hard-hitting friends!

13. Commander Niall

This mini-boss can be found hanging out in Castle Sol, located in the Mountaintops of the Giants.

Commander Niall has devastating ground attacks and can attack players with three different move sets that make him seem unpredictable.

While it is possible to learn his attack patterns, the first couple of times you face him can be frustrating.

What makes this fight particularly difficult is that Niall is capable of summoning two soldiers to help him out.

Once you take out his backup, he will start using frost and lightning attacks, which can cause a lot of damage.

Fortunately, his regular spear attacks can be parried, giving you the opportunity to get a few hits on him.

Expect this boss fight to be pretty long and drawn out, as you will need to wait for the right opening before dealing damage!

12. Morgott – The Omen King

Found in the Royal Capital, Morgott is the continuation of the boss fight against Margit, The Fell Omen.

Now, as Morgott, this boss isn’t interested in holding anything back, and he can end up being one of the hardest bosses to defeat.

This boss can rain down magic arrows, throw daggers, and conjure lightning spears to kill players very quickly.

Making things worse is that he only gets more aggressive as the fight goes on, giving you little reprieve from his contact attacks.

Morgott even has a second phase that makes him even harder, during which his attack patterns are seemingly erratic.

During this phase, he can pair his spear with a sword, using them in an endless combo of debilitating attacks that can kill players easily. 

However, a shield can block his attacks fairly well, allowing you to damage him with your own sword or spear in turn.

If you run out of stamina, though, he will take advantage of the opportunity to shatter your guard and batter you mercilessly.

This boss definitely demonstrates why Elden Ring is one of the best multiplayer PS5 games because you’ll definitely want friends to help take him down!

11. Godrick The Grafted

Located in Limgrave at Stormveil Castle, Godrick the Grafted is a demigod and the last living member of the Golden Lineage.

When you first stumble upon this boss in the dungeon, don’t expect to come out victorious on your first try, because this guy packs a punch.

It will take a bit to learn his patterns, which mainly take the form of furious attacks from his gigantic axe.

Fortunately, his axe swings will often leave him open for short periods, which players can exploit to inflict damage.

However, like Morgott, Godrick’s attacks have a second phase in which his aggression will absolutely skyrocket.

During this time, he will also start using hard-hitting ground stomps that have large areas of effect.

If that wasn’t bad enough, he will also start using a dragon’s head to spew flames across the battlefield.

Although we admit his character design is one of the coolest we’ve ever seen, we definitely hate having to face him.

While there are plenty of guides on how to beat Godrick, it will almost always take you a couple of times to get it right!

10. Mohg – Lord Of Blood

It’s bosses like this that have helped make Elden Ring one of the best video games of all time, and he isn’t even mandatory.

This is one of the most challenging bosses that players may not encounter if they’re not looking for him.

Located in Mohgwyn Palace, which can only be reached through a gateway portal at the Consecrated Snowfield or with the Pureblood Knight’s Medal.

Mohg, Lord of Blood, can cast some extremely powerful spells that, while easy to dodge, can inflict a ton of damage.

However, don’t get too complacent, because once his health bar is down to half, he really starts pulling out all the stops.

Once at half health, Mohg will start casting an unblockable blood spell that can quickly kill players.

He will also take on a winged form that makes him much faster than he was at the beginning of the fight.

Although Mohg isn’t a final boss fight, he can be an unpleasant surprise to run into while you’re out exploring the Snowfield.

If you ever find yourself at Mohgwyn Palace, make sure to be extra cautious before jumping into Mohg’s battle arena.

9. Crucible Knight Ordovis

Ordovis is the leader of the Crucible Knights, and he can be found at the Auiza Hero’s Grave in the eastern portion of the Capital Outskirts.

However, Ordovis isn’t alone and, instead, is accompanied by another Crucible Knight who can make the battle even harder.

Both of these enemies are incredibly tough, and the fact that they both tag-team you makes it impossible to catch your breath.

These two won’t just attack at random either, but they will coordinate their attacks in such a way that it makes it hard for players to find an opening.

During the second phase of this fight, these Elden Ring bosses get even tougher by charging at the player relentlessly.

Your best bet to beat these guys is by using spirit summons to help take the heat off of you, if only for a little while.

We would also recommend bringing along a friend, because if Ordovis gets a partner, you should too!

8. Fire Giant

This Legend boss can be found just outside of the Flame Peak at the Mountaintop of the Giants, and he is terrifying.

Making things tougher, this isn’t an optional boss, and after you unlock this location, you’ll have to end up facing him.

Looking like something out of the best God of War games, the Fire Giant is a towering foe that can crush players with ease.

This Fire Giant doesn’t just have devastating attacks, but he has a huge health bar that can keep him going for a long time.

Even with some of the best weapons in the game, high-level players can struggle to bring down this brute.

That said, if you’re able to stay within close range of his legs and out of his reach, you will have a chance to beat him.

Unfortunately, he won’t make this strategy easy, as he will regularly conjure flames to force you out of the safe zone.

This giant definitely provides a tough boss fight that only the most well-prepared players are going to be able to get through.

7. Godskin Duo

Like the fight with Crucible Knight Ordovis, the Godskin Duo forces players to take on two bosses at once.

Not only do these characters look downright terrifying, but they have a shared health bar and resurrect each other.

This means you will only have a few brief seconds to focus on a single enemy before the other is back up and fighting.

Honestly, no one is going to shame you for using every dirty trick and exploit that you know when fighting these guys.

The Godskin Duo has become known as one of the worst fights in the game, and it basically forces players to fight dirty.

If we were ranking the most hated Elden Ring bosses, these two would most likely take the top spot.

As it stands, they present a tough fight in a small arena that will absolutely drive you to drink (every flask of Crimson Tears you have.)

6. Godfrey – First Elden Lord

Godfrey offers one of the most difficult boss fights in Elden Ring, and players will have to take him on twice!

The first time he shows up, he can be found as a Golden Phantom at the Erdtree Sanctuary and again before the end of the game.

During his first phase, Godfrey has attacks similar to the Crucible Knights, though he also has an AOE shockwave stomp you’ll need to dodge.

Honestly, his first phase isn’t very difficult to get past, but once he enters his second phase, all bets are off because he is done messing around.

Once he morphs into Horah Loux, he will unleash massive AOE attacks and leap at you from across the room.

At this point, Godfrey becomes capable of basically one-shotting most players, meaning you will want to keep your distance until you have an opening.

This boss fight quickly turns into something out of the best action anime series of all time, only players don’t have the power of Goku on their side.

5. Starscourge Radahn

Starscourge Radahn is one of the largest bosses in the game, and you absolutely won’t want to take him on by yourself.

Fortunately, you won’t have to because you can call in up to seven NPCs to help you out with this incredibly tough battle.

However, even with help, Radahn isn’t to be taken lightly, as he boasts huge AOE attacks that are incredibly difficult to dodge.

Even if you do manage to get close to him, Radahn is deceptively fast, and he can quickly crush you before you have a chance to dodge.

Once you do start to deal damage against him, things get even harder, as he will turn into a huge meteor and crash into the field somewhere close to you.

After his meteor attack, he will become even harder to fight, forcing you to change all of your tactics.

No matter how many NPCs you bring alone or how good your gear is, Starscourge Radahn will break your spirit and all of your character’s bones.

4. Dragonlord Placidusax

Dragonlord Placidusax sounds like something you’d take on using one of the best two-handed weapons in Skyrim, only he makes Alduin look downright friendly.

This secret boss fight is really easy to miss as it is located in a hidden area just before reaching Maliketh, the Black Blade.

What makes Placidusax so difficult is that he can teleport across his massive arena while dishing out devastating sweeping attacks.

He also boasts the ability to perform huge AOE attacks that force you to constantly keep moving to die.

The only saving grace here is that you will probably be able to defeat this boss if you’re already geared up to fight Maliketh, but we’ll cover him further down.

However, that won’t make this fight any easier, it will just make it more likely that you’ll eventually win.

Don’t get comfortable for long, though, because if you’re fighting Placidusax, that means you’re in for an even tougher battle shortly!

3. Radagon Of The Golden Order

Final bosses in Souls games are always extremely difficult, and Radagon of the Golden Order definitely lives up to the hype.

Serving as the first half of the two-part final battle in Elden Ring, Radagon uses short-ranged attacks to deal a ton of damage to players who get too close.

However, if you move too far away, he will shoot beam projectiles in your direction and perform slam attacks to trip you up.

Fortunately, his first phase isn’t terribly difficult, though his second phase will test even the most skilled players.

In phase two, Radagon turns into a massive Elden Beast and fires off an almost non-stop stream of AOE attacks that can make almost anyone want to rage quit.

If any of these AOE attacks hit you, you will quickly find yourself running out of health and running for your life.

Radagon definitely makes for a great final boss, and he’s possibly one of the most difficult bosses ever created by FromSoftware.

2. Maliketh, The Black Blade

Up next, we have a boss that is both incredibly frustrating and fun to fight, even if you have to try multiple times.

Maliketh is ridiculously fast and capable of flying across the arena to remind you of why you should have stayed home.

If he manages to land on you, he can kill you in one hit easily unless you’re an incredibly high level and well-prepared.

The only way you will be able to beat this boss is by having a perfect defense and taking advantage of the few windows you’ll have to do damage.

However, unlike other erratic bosses, Maliketh comes across as fairly well-balanced, and if you learn his patterns, you can hold your own fairly well.

That said, you will probably end up dying a lot while learning his move set, so make sure you’re prepared for that!

If you can, you may want to bring along some friends for this fight, if only to take the heat off of yourself for a bit.

1. Malenia, Blade Of Miquella

Taking our number one spot is none other than Malenia, Blade of Miquella, a boss that every player can agree is the hardest in Elden Ring.

Easily one of the toughest video game bosses to beat of all time, Malenia is nearly impossible to defeat, even after trying multiple times.

Found in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, Malenia has a wide range of attacks and can heal herself with every hit that she lands.

She also has an incredibly quick dodge that makes her infuriatingly hard to hit, and she will side-step almost any projectile fired at her.

Even the best players can spend days trying to take this boss out, and it seems like the more you fight her, the worse you get.

Oh, and during her second phase, she can summon spirits to attack the player while also lunging in herself sporadically.

It’s boss fights like this that helped earn Elden Ring its Game of the Year title, but that is little solace for players still struggling to beat her!

Summary

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the 15 hardest bosses in Elden Ring and maybe learned about some you might have missed!

Elden Ring is an amazingly challenging game, and it’s easy to lose hours trying to beat a single tough opponent.

However, it is because of this that so many players keep coming back, and we’ve certainly become gluttons for punishment!

Here’s a quick recap of the 15 hardest bosses in Elden ring:

1. Malenia, Blade Of Miquella
2. Maliketh, The Black Blade
3. Radagon Of The Golden Order
4. Dragonlord Placidusax
5. Starscourge Radahn
6. Godfrey – First Elden Lord
7. Godskin Duo
8. Fire Giant
9. Crucible Knight Ordovis
10. Mohg – Lord Of Blood
11. Godrick The Grafted
12. Morgott – The Omen King
13. Commander Niall
14. Astel – Naturalborn Of The Void
15. Draconic Tree Sentinel

Which of these bosses gave you the most trouble? Leave a comment below.